Aurangabad police have registered an FIR against 26 top Maharashtra officials, including a former chief secretary, in the irrigation scam. The case related to alleged irregularities in the construction of 11 barrages by the Godavari Marathwada Irrigation Development Corporation in Marathwada Region.

Police say the first information report had been registered against the officials, following an order of the first class judicial magistrate.

Former BJP MLA from Partur in adjoining Jalna district Babanrao Lonikar said that the police had earlier refused to register an FIR. In his complaint to the police, Lonikar had alleged that the initial cost of the 11 barrages constructed in Aurangabad, Jalna and Parbhani districts during 2006-2007 was 20 crores only. However, it escalated to 2,452 crores and no proper explanation was given. He said the report of the one-man committee under the former secretary of water resources, MK Kulkarni had established irregularities and favouritism to contractors in construction of the barrages.

The barrages were planned to increase irrigation in the drought-prone Marathwada region on the directives of the state governor. But, these were not scientifically designed as there was no hydrological estimate of how much water was to be impounded. Moreover, the farmers were finding it difficult to lift the water due to low electricity supply and heavy load-shedding in the area.